After Midnight
by secretfanficlover
Summary: Severus falls for someone he isn't suppose to, and it seems like she wants him too. What can they do? Warnings: Student/teacher, underage character.


**This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.**

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Word Count: 1246

Title: After Midnight

Note: AU!s

Warnings: student/teacher (underage character), stong suggestive themes.

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Hogwarts

Assignment 9: Beauty Therapy: Spa Day: Task #11 - Seaweed Body Wrap: Write about a 'healing hug'. (A hug that happens during repairing a relationship, a hug that makes someone feel better after a bad day)

Yearly:

Prompt 303 [Pairing] Snape/Hermione

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Severus knew he shouldn't, he had been in a foul mood all day. Ever since she had turned sixteen he found himself hypnotised by her.

He had always believed he would never fall in love again, and until now, he never had. It had been easier in the beginning. She had avoided him like the plague. He found one of her notebooks; he saw notes in her tidy penmanship.

The little blue book slipped and fell open on the back page where she had drawn little hearts with the inscriptions. "_Hermione_ _Snape_" in various lettering, like she was practicing her future signature. His heart raced. She couldn't have feelings for him; he was so much older than she was. He didn't even find _himself_ particularly charming.

She couldn't, it must be some sort of trick.

* * *

"You forgot this, Miss Granger," he said the next day during Potions. She blushed furiously and the blood rushing to her face confused him. She must have really forgotten her notes on purpose. There was no way that expression was lying to her. She was embarrassed.

She took the book, muttering a soft: "Thank you, sir."

That lesson he made notes on the board, and then had them write it down. While he walked through the class his eyes met Hermione's and he heard her thoughts.

_Handsome… meet him in the Room of Requirement… Oh gosh, he is a Legilimens. What if he is listening? _

He met her eyes as she looked up.

_Can you hear me? If you can…_

He winked at her, very very subtly, the entire class were focused on their notes, the only one watching him was Hermione. She blushed again, looking down.

_Meet me in the room of requirement tonight._

She kept her eyes down, he wondered if she couldn't bear the thought of him turning her down.

As soon as the bell rang, he watched Hermione stuffing her books into her bag, dropping the blue notebook again. He picked it up, and handed it to her, time stood still as their eyes met. Severus's hand just touched her fingers.

"Stay after class, Granger," he said. She blushed, and the rest of the students filled out without curiosity. Snape made students stay after class all the time.

As soon as they were alone, he felt himself drawn towards her like a magnet. His index finger ran down her cheek and she shivered.

"What is the meaning of this?" Severus asked, still reluctant to believe this wasn't all planned.

"I am in love with you," she said simply. Her face was red but her words rang strong and true, her voice echoing in the Potions classroom.

"You can't," Severus said.

"I shouldn't," she agreed. "But I do."

She touched his hand. "So will you meet me tonight?"

"We can't, this is wrong," he insisted.

"Okay," Hermione replied sadly. "I'll be there if you change your mind."

* * *

"Can I borrow this?" Hermione asked, reaching for Harry's cloak. Harry nodded.

"Don't you want to know what for?" she asked curiously at his lack of questions.

"You will tell me if you want me to know," Harry said maturely.

"Severus," she said.

"Oh, you are going to tell him?" Harry asked.

She blushed again. "You knew?"

"You aren't careful with that notebook, Herm," he said with a small smile.

"Does Ron know?" she asked. She knew he had feelings for her, and she didn't quite know how to approach it.

"No, but I wouldn't worry," Harry said. She looked at him curiously.

"He isn't in love with you anymore, he…" Harry trailed off.

"Oh, good. I mean, I am happy for him," Hermione said, she could hear the edge to her voice. She knew that even though Ron was over her, she would probably not get a relationship with Severus. Not yet, and she was oddly jealous of how easy it was for Ron.

She grabbed Harry's invisibility cloak, and lowered it over her head, clambering out of the portrait hole. She walked to the third floor.

_I need somewhere to meet Severus without being found._

_I need somewhere to meet Severus without being found._

_I need somewhere to meet Severus without being found._

The door appeared, and she slipped inside, removing the cloak and waiting for him. She wasn't sure if he would show up. Suddenly she wished she had given a time. She sat down on a powder blue bed, and she blushed as she let her eyes roam the decor. Clearly, the room had more than just a simple meeting in mind.

If she was honest with herself, her body did long for so much more, she craved his touch after earlier today when his fingers made her body shiver in anticipation by just brushing across her hand.

The clock struck midnight, and Hermione sighed. He probably wasn't coming.

* * *

Severus was arguing with his sense of right and wrong. He was aware that she was waiting for him right now. He tried to insist that he wasn't going, he couldn't. She was so innocent, so pure. He wouldn't take that away from her.

"Okay, I guess I'm gonna do this. Unless someone talks me out of it," he muttered to himself, checking his reflection in the mirror.

_'But she wanted him_,' his less noble side argued. He was a Slytherin, he could take what he wanted. He wouldn't push it, but he would go see her. He couldn't help himself. Before he realised he was on his way to the third floor.

The clock struck midnight as the door swung open. He walked in just in time to see her sigh and rise to her feet.

She didn't think he would show. He wasn't sure what he thought of that, when he argued all the way here he was doing the wrong thing.

He felt like he blinked and Hermione was in his arms, he held the woman against his chest, feeling all the anxiety flow from her like a river.

"You came," she whispered.

Severus let out a hollow laugh. "I couldn't stay away from you."

"Then don't," she said boldly. He felt her heart racing in his arms, but he didn't let her go. As long as she was _here_ in his arms, after midnight, this moment would sustain them. He didn't believe there would be a next time. He didn't want to let her go.

* * *

She felt herself relax in his arms, feeling like she belonged there.

"I will see you again soon, won't I?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Hermione, this is…" he started.

"I know, I know, but you said you couldn't stay away from me, so don't. We can keep this between us until I become of age," she said. Her voice muffled against his chest.

"Hold onto this moment, because it can never last," Severus said bitterly.

"You're wrong, I'll prove it…" Hermione insisted, her arms holding onto him like a lifeline.

* * *

They spent hours talking and just taking comfort in being able to be themselves.

"Time to go," Severus said, untangling himself reluctantly from her cuddles. The two had ended up spooning on the bed for a long time before he knew he had to go.

"I'll never be the one for you," he added reluctantly.

Severus felt his heart sink as he watched her expression change. He schooled his features, he had to. If he didn't leave now, he never would.

"Goodnight, Severus," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Goodnight, Hermione."


End file.
